A - Alligators All Around
by Bdoyle
Summary: Sequel to 'A Full Quiver' - best to read it first AU in which Philinda are married and raising their own brood Phil and Melinda are away at a conference Trip and his Grandmother are off on a church mission leaving Mack and Yoyo in charge of the little ones And Skye insists there is an alligator under her bed


**A – Alligators All Around**

"Tienes que comer, pequeña," Yoyo coaxed a stubborn tour-year-old who had pursed her lips tightly shut and was currently shaking her head with eyes squeezed as tightly shut as her mouth.

"Nǐ xūyào chī, bǎobèi." Jemma attempted the same encouragement in her mother's native tongue.

Fitz shoved a large piece of pancake into his mouth and caught the syrup dripping from his chin with his palm. He rubbed his hand on the napkin next to his plate and around his chewing he sighed. "She's not about to eat in any language so I can't figure why the both of you don't just let her be." Mack slid another pancake on the boy's empty plate and shook his head with a knowing smile. Apparently he agreed with the small boy. Fitz smiled a wide smile and nodded his thanks before smothering the offering with more syrup and digging into it.

Yoyo reached across the table and procured the sticky condiment earning a quick frown from Fitz. "Suficiente jarabe para tu pequeño lobo." She scolded with a grin.

The boy chewed quickly and swallowed before answering. "I am not a wolf, Yoyo and besides wolves are carnivores. I don't believe they'd enjoy these marvelous delights Mack has served us. And if Skye doesn't care for them and," he jerked a thumb at his older sister. "We all know Jemma eats like a wee bird, so that just means more for me." He turned the thumb toward himself and tapped his chest before gobbling another large bite.

Jemma shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That's just nonsense Fitz. A chickadee can eat up to thirty-six percent of its body weight in food each day. Contrary to what most people believe, most birds consume much more food than humans do."

Fitz wrinkled one side of his face in a half snarl, then laughed almost spewing his pancake across the table. He quickly put a hand over his mouth, chewed and swallowed before speaking. "That means you'll need to consume about eighteen pounds of food per day." He pointed at her plate with his fork. "You've had about two ounces. You've got quite a way to go then don't you?"

Jemma huffed in defeat. "You'd not speak like that if Mama was here."

"Of course I would," the boy spread his arms wide and smiled just the same. "I'm but stating a fact, Jemma, just a fact."

"Dios mio," Yoyo sighed. "How does Melinda do this every morning? Aye-yi-yi…" She continued rattling on in Spanish, hoping the children had not yet mastered that part of her language.

Skye had pushed her plate away and now rested on her arms on the table. Mack scooped her up, sat down and plopped her in his lap. He kissed her head although she still held both arms across her face.

"I no want no brefuss, Mack. I no hungery." She whined.

He wrapped his large arms around her, nearly encompassing her whole body. He kissed her again and rested his chin on her head as he rocked side to side. "I made these pancakes just for you. Your daddy told me they were your favorite and well, I gave him the recipe so I knew how to make them before he knew how."

Fitz, Jemma and Yoyo rolled their eyes.

Mack shrugged his shoulders and tried again. "You didn't eat much supper last night, Tremors. You've gotta be hungry." He bent down to the little girl's side trying to peek under her arms.

Skye shook her body. "My tummy hoerts for no food when mama bees gone so long times."

"She means she doesn't want to eat when…" Fitz started, but Mack held up a hand.

"I got it little man." He looked back to the little girl on his lap. "Your mama and daddy have only been gone not even one day and they will be back in three days. They're going to call every night and probably every time they can, so you can talk to them. Don't you think mama will be sad if she knows you don't want to eat."

Skye dropped her arms, turned and looked into Mack's face. "I sad acuz mama goed away. I tell hoer there bees a agalator unner my bed." She held out her hand, bobbing it up and down as she spoke.

"Alligator," Fitz translated as he swallowed the last of his breakfast.

Mack raised his eyebrows, "an alligator?" Skye nodded. "Under your bed?" She nodded faster. The large man shook his head and fought to contain his laughter.

"Una excusa tan tonta por no comer," Yoyo threw up her hands and began collecting plates from the table. Jemma stood to help. "Oh no, jovencita, no tú también. Siéntese y termine su desayuno." The woman gave Jemma a stern look and point to her plate. The young girl fell back into her chair, picked up her fork and began pushing food around on the plate. Yoyo picked up the rest of the dishes and utensils, piling them together began turning toward the sink. "Un panqueque, tu madre dijo que debes comer uno, Jemma. No un bocado, pero un panqueque entero. Ahora come."

Fitz pushed himself back on his chair and patted his stomach with both hands. "Well then, I've had my fill."

"And several others," Jemma grumbled as she rested her head on her hand and forced a small piece of her meal into her mouth. She looked under her arm to Yoyo who now leaned against the counter tapping her foot. Mama could hold her calm for a long time and only needed to speak to any of her children in that quiet tone that let them know she meant business. Jemma figured it was her Chinese lineage, but Yoyo was a hot headed Latina. Things were much different with her. "I am eating, Yoyo. It just takes a bit longer what with Skye all upset and Fitz gobbling down everything in sight, I get a bit distracted."

Fitz leaned forward on his hand, slamming both of his hands on the table. "Jemma Coulson-Simmons you are lying!" He pointed at her as he stood and began chanting as he danced around the table. "Jemma's telling falsehoods. Jemma's telling falsehoods."

"Enough!" Yoyo bellowed, grabbing the boy by the arm and sending him out of the kitchen with a swat to his behind. "Go get dressed, salvaje! Ahora!" The boy laughed as he scrambled from the room and bounded up the stairs.

"You get the agalator outta my unner bed, Mack?" Skye ignored the battle between her siblings as she stared at the pancake the plate that the man had pulled back in front of her. She watched as he cut it into small bite-sized pieces.

"I tell you what, sweet pea, you eat just half this pancake and drink all your milk and we will get that old alligator and send him packing." The large man smiled at the little girl staring up at him. He handed her the fork he was holding and motioned toward the plate.

Skye looked at the many pieces now scattered across her plate. "How manies is half, Mack? You maked lotsa them."

Half an hour later Skye stood watching Mack on his hands and knees peering under her bed. "Sorry, Tremors, I don't see this alligator that's got you all worried. Are you sure he's under here."

Skye squatted down on her haunches and lowered her head to look under the bed. "Him was unner there in the dark time. I heared him squewatching."

Mack turned and sat on the floor facing the little girl. He rested his arms on his raised knees and held out a hand to her. "Maybe he just left on his own." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "It is possible." He reasoned. "Well, little one, there is no big ole green gator under there now."

Skye stood up and shook her head. She put both hands out and bounced them, palms up, as she spoke. "Mack, the agalator is no goreen. Him is lello and him is liddle no big." She tilted her head and stared at the man still seated on the floor.

"A yellow alligator?" Mack sighed. "Is it a baby?"

Skye shook her head. "Him bees a daddy."

Mack pursed his lips and nodded, then dropped his head to hide the smile he could not contain. He pulled himself to his feet and lifted the little girl into his arms. "Well, Tremors, he's not there now. Guess he must have found somewhere else to live, so you don't have to worry about him anymore." He tickled her belly and smiled at her giggles. "I bet Fitz and Jemma are waiting for you to find your bathing suit so we can go to the pool for a while."

"I no hafta fine it, Mack. Jemma gots it wit hoers."

The large man shook his head and exited the room. Skye looked over his shoulder, staring at the space under her bed.

An afternoon at the splash park left three children, and two adults, exhausted. Mack pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. He leaned forward resting his head on his hands still on the steering wheel.

Yoyo turned to look in the backseat then turned to her companion. "Sound asleep every one of them." She smiled. "I will take the little one, you can get the others." The big man yawned and nodded as she opened the door and stepped out of the SUV.

A few minutes later all three children were sprawled on a blanket spread on the family room floor. It was just easier to put them there than to transport all of them up the stairs. Besides, it was much easier for Yoyo's untrained ear to hear them when they woke. Lord, knows what they might get into up there before she knew they were awake. Although she trusted Jemma to stay out of trouble the other two scamps were always a surprise. She and Mack dropped onto the couch and soon joined their small group in blessed slumber.

The sudden ringing of the telephone brought everyone awake. Fitz and Jemma scrambled to their feet both shouting they would get it as Skye raced behind them. Mack rubbed his eyes and clumsily tried to pull himself from the couch as Yoyo rolled to the floor on her knees and struggled to stand, both wondering how the children had woken so quickly.

Jemma made it to the hall telephone first slamming her hand on the receiver which was immediately snatched by Fitz as she lifted it from its cradle. Skye hopped up and down between them grabbing at it as well. It was quite the antique but their father loved the old stuff and it made for quite the conversation piece, which dad also loved for the pun. The children continued to clamor over the device as Yoyo stepped between them and took it while at the same time holding out a hand to quiet the roaring mass. Mack scooped up Fitz and Skye bringing them close to his face as he shushed them both. They struggled to get free but giggled at the man's friendly entrapment.

"Pronto," Yoyo spoke into the receiver. "Compañero, ¿cómo estás?" The children quieted as they listened to the one sided conversation. "¿Te estás divirtiendo?...bueno, bueno…¿Niños? Que niños No hay niños aquí." She grinned into the phone.

"Yes, we are! Yes, we are! We're here!" Jemma and Fitz sang in unison.

"Me too!" Skye added, a beat behind. "I heeor, mama. I heeor, daddy. I talk a you!" She reached for the phone, struggling to be released.

Yoyo handed the phone to Jemma who stood directly in front of her. Fitz pouted as his shoulder's dropped and Mack set him on the floor. Skye dropped her head on his shoulder and whimpered softly.

"Hello, mama," Jemma spoke in her usual soft voice. "Are you and daddy having fun?...We miss you…Yes, we're being well behaved…" She laughed as she looked at her brother. "Yes, he's behaving as well…Okay, here's Fitz." She handed the phone to the little boy hopping from foot to foot behind her.

"Hi, mom, we went to the water park and Mack let me go down the big slide…no he was with me and I dived in the pool…yes, on the diving board…no the low one and I swam all the way across the pool…Mack was in the pool." He nodded his head several times.

"She cannot see your head bobbing, Fitz." Jemma giggled.

"Da…Da, I dived off the diving board…I did." The little boy smiled ear to ear. "Okay, okay I will before she cries. I miss you da. I miss mom, too." He turned and handed the receiver to Skye who remained in Mack's arms.

"Daddy?" She wasn't sure. "Daddy, there bees a agalator unner my bed an Mack nount see him." She informed her father seriously. "You come back an get the agalator, daddy? Mama come too… MAMA!" Everyone laughed knowing Melinda's voice had just reached her baby's ear. "Mama, I mist you. My tummy hoerts, mama…" Skye shook her head vehemently. "No, mama, no tempachur. I no sick. Mama, there bees a agalator unner by bed still. You needa git em."

The conversation continued for twenty minutes, until Phil and Melinda had to return to their meetings. All three children made a tearful goodbye and their parents promised to call to wish them goodnight. Fitz and Jemma moved on to an experiment Fitz had been working on while Mack continued to comfort a very distressed Skye.

"You no catch a agalator," she sniffled as Mack held her on his large lap. "Daddy catch him foe me so he not squewatch unner my bed." She rubbed the back of her hand under her nose before Mack could retrieve a tissue from the box next to the couch.

"I'm sorry, Tremors, but I just can't see the alligator. How did he get there?" Mack tried to pacify the little girl, thinking the entire situation was an extension of missing her parents.

"Fizz put him inna box, but hims no like it." She shook her head.

"Hmmm," Mack tapped his finger on his chin and furrowed his brow. "Where did Fitz get this yellow alligator?"

Skye shrugged her shoulders and held out her hands. "I no know." She leaned close to Mack and whispered. "Him was hyden."

Mack raised his eyebrows and nodded his head.

Yoyo stood in the kitchen and debated on supper. Melinda had left a list of things the children liked or at least would eat. She also left a detailed list of how much of anything Jemma would have to eat since the Coulson's continued to work on the little girl's eating habits, now with the help of Dr. Stephens.

Melinda and Phil had left yesterday afternoon for a four day meeting/vacation in Chicago. They would spend two days with department heads from their various offices throughout the country and then have two days to spend together simply relaxing. Mack and Yoyo had volunteered to care for the younger kids while Trip and his grandmother traveled to Alabama for a week long church retreat.

Lunch had not been a problem. Apparently, swimming, climbing, diving and all that walking/running built up an appetite, that and the fact that Mack had no problem sharing a plethora of junk food with Fitz while Yoyo convinced the girls to try some pizza and a soft drink. Everyone enjoyed ice cream before leaving the park with Yoyo making a silent prayer than no one got sick before, or after, reaching home. The woman was not ready for a wrestling match like the one they had at breakfast. She considered suggesting dinner at a local eatery but she was definitely not ready for making a scene in public. Finally settling on a simple meal of chicken fingers, sweet potato fries and salad, she went about making preparations and hoping for the best.

Supper went better than expected with everyone eating at least a bit of their meal, except for Fitz who was more than willing to finish anything his sisters did not. He was the first to notice that all of Skye's green vegetables where gone from her plate.

"You ate greens?" He asked as his eyebrows shot up.

Jemma looked under the table then sat back up. "You really ate them?"

Skye just smiled at her siblings and dipped her last bit of chicken in the ketchup Yoyo had reluctantly given to her.

After two hours of romping in the back yard with Mack the evening wound down to gathering around the fire pit with marshmallows, grahams and chocolate.

"My fing-ers is all icky." Skye giggled showing how they stuck together then put her hands together and pulled at the same stickiness. Fitz laughed and showed his fingers did the same. "Them smashmolos maked me icky."

"You are way more than sticky, little girl." Mack laughed as he stood and held her back to his chest, effectively keeping the sticky away. "I think it's time for a bath." He took one step toward the house.

"No!" Skye squirmed fervently in attempt to escape. She kicked her feet, flailing her arms and almost screaming in protest.

"Hey, Tremors," Mack was stunned. "Come on, you have to take a bath."

Fitz rolled backward with laughter. He'd seen Skye made a fuss, but never like this.

Jemma tried to help calm her little sister. "It's okay, bao bao, Mack just wants to help you get ready for bed. It is well past your bedtime. Look," she pointed up to the sky. "The stars are blinking."

Skye continued to struggle. "I do a bath on me." She stopped for a breath and whispered to Jemma. "I no wan Mack a see my unnerwears, Jemma. He no a daddy."

Jemma's mouth formed a circle as Fitz set off on a new fit of laughter. Mack turned and handed the little girl to a waiting Yoyo. Then grabbed Fitz's sneaker and yanked him a bit.

A few hours later the silence of the night was shattered by Skye's screaming. Yoyo leapt from the bed and made it to the door before Mack was able to untangle himself from the sheets.

"I thought she didn't have those night terrors anymore." Mack breathed as he pulled on sweats as he hopped across the room. Yoyo groaned as she pulled on a bathrobe and hurried down the hall.

Skye stood on her bed, back against the wall, screaming as she bounced from foot to foot. Yoyo quickly moved to the edge of the mattress and caught the little girl as she practically dove into her arms.

"Him is squewatching unner my bed, Oyo. Mack didna get the agalator." She was almost hysterical, clutching Yoyo tightly. "Pliece, get the agalator. I no like him unner there."

Mack flicked on the light, dropped to his knees and peered under the bed. He noticed the small pile of lettuce and realized where Skye's salad had gone. He picked it up and brought it to Yoyo's attention before dropping it in the waste basket. The little girl was too upset to question but he was sure she'd stashed it in her pocket and at some point set it under the bed. He shook his head at his companion as she patted the little girl's back and swayed side to side trying to comfort her.

The man reached up from the floor and took the small lamp from the nightstand. He removed the shade and once again went head first under the little girl's bed, this time shining the lamp under it. He pulled back so fast he smacked her head against the bed frame.

"Damn it," he whispered under his breath rubbing the back of his head.

"Que?" Yoyo stepped back.

Mack stood and scanned the room; picking up a small blanket folded on the back of the rocking chair then raised his finger to his lips motioning for Yoyo to be silent. Skye still whimpered but hid her face in Yoyo's neck. She stepped back again, eyes wide and mouthed "what?". He shook his head as he slowly picked up the bottom of the bed and moved it a few inches from the wall.

Yoyo let out a surprised shriek and clutched Skye closer to her. The little girl screamed with fright. A small creature skittered along the wall before Mack tossed the blanket on top of it and snatched it from the floor in one swipe. He peeled back the blanket and held the small reptile in his hand. It squirmed free and crawled along one hand and then the other as he placed one in front of the other.

"You were right, Tremors, but I don't think this little guy is an alligator." Mack laughed.

Skye sniffed a few times and lifted her head, pushing her hair away from her face. She looked at the small animal and smiled as Yoyo stepped closer. "You catched him. I toed you him is lello." She smiled as she watched the lizard travel from one of Mack's hands to the other. "Do he pet?" She asked as she timidly reached out to touch the creature.

Mack ran his finger along the lizard's back and nodded toward her as he moved a little closer. At first Skye pulled back but after a few tries she gently touched the lizard, pulled her hand back quickly and giggled. She touched it again. "Him is cold. Him need a cover?"

"No, mommi, he is a lizard. It is okay for him to be cold." Yoyo smiled.

"What's all the noise?" Fitz yawned from the doorway, digging a fist into his eye.

"Looka, Fizz!" Skye squealed, still stroking the creature in Mack's hand. "Mack catched the agalator. Him is lello."

The little boy nodded his head. "That's splendid." He yawned again as he started to turn away. "Now, maybe we can get some sleep."

"Hold on there, Turbo." Mack snickered. Fitz stopped and turned, squinting at the large man. "Care to tell us how this little guy got in here?"

Fitz scratched his head and smacked his lips a few times before shrugging his shoulders. Jemma slid around the door frame resting her head against the wall. She pushed her disheveled hair away from her eyes and took a deep breath.

"LIZ!" She exclaimed as she stepped into the room and ran a finger down the lizard's spine. "Where did you find her? Look Fitz," she turned toward the little boy who was shaking his head. "Mack's found Liz!"

"Him was unner my bed, Jemma," Skye nodded as she spoke. "I toed you a agalator was unner my bed. I seed him goed unner. I gived him my letsus to make him get out."

Fitz stepped into the room rocking his head from side to side. He reached up and gently took the reptile from Mack's hands. "He is a she," he began, "and she's not an alligator she is a Sceloporus uniformis, more commonly known as the yellow-backed spiny lizard, She's native to the Mojave Desert but she currently resides in our Science class with a few other reptiles. We've been studying them and their habitats."

"It seems she currently resides under your little sister's bed." Yoyo glared at the boy.

"I…she…she was supposed to stay in her habitat. I suppose I didn't latch it correctly when I fed her yesterday." Fitz shrugged.

Mack squatted down in front of the boy. "What is the lizard doing here in the first place, Fitz?"

"Some of the older chaps were about to let the boa constrictor devour her." He exclaimed, then added softly. "I couldn't let that happen, so I sort of pinched her from the lab."

"Fitz! You stole Liz?" Jemma was appalled.

"We gotz a agalator!" Skye clapped.

Yoyo let out a long breath. "Okay, Todos de vuelta a la cama. Back to bed, everyone. It is two o'clock. Put that reptile back in its cage and make sure it is closed and locked. We will talk more in the morning."

Yoyo spent the next half hour settling an over excited Skye back to sleep while Mack tucked Jemma back in and kissed her goodnight for the second time. He walked into Fitz's room as the boy was struggling to pull a large aquarium out of the closet. He smiled and shook his head then picked up the item and placed it on the boy's desk. "How did you manage to get this up here?" He narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"Trip helped me," Fitz shrugged. "I told him it was for a Science Club project." He looked up at Mack and continued quickly. "It wasn't really lying, animal research is science and well eventually I would have suggested it to the club as a project."

"Uh huh," Mack nodded.

Fitz let out a deep sigh as he took the lizard from the shoe box temporary home and softly placed it in the terrarium. "I think she'll be happier here." He pulled the metal lid closed and secured the latch then crossed the room and climbed into bed.

Mack watched for a moment before helping the boy to straighten his blankets and settle back onto his pillow. He sat down on the edge of the bed as Fitz folded his hands on his chest.

"I suppose you'll be telling mom and da about this fiasco." The little boy sighed.

Mack rubbed his hands together and looked at his palms. "No way, little man, you're going to have to do that all on your own."

Fitz slapped a hand on his forehead. "Stealing and lying? I'm dead."

Mack laughed and tapped his hand on the boy's leg. "Get some sleep, Turbo. You've got a three day reprieve before sentence is passed. Enjoy it. Oh, and keep that alligator," he nodded toward the reptile blinking its large black eyes at them, "locked up tight."

"Oh no," Fitz sat up quickly. "I'm tellin' them as soon as they call tomorrow. That will give them time to cool down a bit before they get back."

Mack gave the boy a thumbs-up then pushed him back into his pillow. "Good night, Fitz." The large man smiled as he rose to leave.

Fitz rolled on his side and pulled his legs up scrunching into his blankets. "Good morning, Mack."

The 'alligator' spent the next day as the object of Skye's devoted attention. The following day it was taken back to the school Science Camp with an explanation provide by Fitz which earned a stern lecture from the coordinator but also a promise that no one would feed Liz to the boa constrictor at any time.

It was hard to tell who missed the little critter more as both Fitz and Skye pouted until their parents returned with more surprises than anyone expected.


End file.
